Maxwell Receives No Pity from Epstein Trafficking Survivors

Ghislaine Maxwell’s apology before she was sentenced to 20 years in prison has been met with incredulity and disappointment from survivors of the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking ring.

Before being charged with a sentence of 20 years in prison for her involvement in sex trafficking on June 28, 2022, Maxwell delivered an apology to the trafficking survivors present at the Manhattan federal courthouse for her trial.

“I am sorry for the pain you have experienced,” she said, “I hope my sentence … brings you some measure of peace and helps you put those experiences of so many years ago in a place that allows you to look forward and not back.”

Annie Farmer, left, and Courtney Wild, right, accusers of Jeffery Epstein, stand outside the courthouse in New York, Monday, July 15, 2019. Financier Jeffrey Epstein will remain behind bars for now as a federal judge mulls whether to grant bail on charges he sexually abused underage girls. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The apology, however, rang hollow in the ears of those that were addressed. To them, it seemed that Maxwell is intent on not taking responsibility for any of the harm that she caused when her presence had been a vital part of their grooming process.

Needless to say, Maxwell’s apology has come far too late in the eyes some of those who suffered. In an interview with CBS News, Annie Farmer, trial witness and victim, had this to say about Maxwell’s apology: “I didn’t think it was an apology. She didn’t take any responsibility. She acknowledged that there was pain and suffering but she did not take ownership of causing that pain and suffering, so it felt very hollow to me and the other women I spoke with afterward.”

Farmer noted that during her testimony, Maxwell had failed to make contact with her while she was detailing her extensive trauma.

“I actually did make an attempt several times during my impact statement to make eye contact with her and look directly where she was sitting and she just looked down. She never looked back.”

In Maxwell’s apology, she had called Epstein “a manipulative, cunning, and controlling man,” but victims who have come forth state that Maxwell was equally as calculating and held just as much power over them.

“She was the manager of several recruiters and many others who provided the means and cover for Epstein’s predation,” said Sarah Ransome in her victim impact statement. “In several instances, Ghislaine by her own hand forced me into Epstein’s room to be raped.”

For her participation in Epstein’s machinations, Maxwell has found herself responsible for the severe trauma that came about from the repeated rapes that she inflicted. And in the current moment, those harmed do not appear willing to grant Maxwell any forgiveness.

But with her punishment assured, survivors are certainly feeling vindication for what they have suffered, as well as hope.

“It’s really a victorious day for justice,” Annie Farmer’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, tells reporters waiting outside the federal court after the sentencing.